Pretty neat
Scraping every last mile per gallon out of a pickup truck is much harder than with a car. Nowadays, getting close to an EPA-rated 20 mpg combined for a light-duty truck is considered pretty good, even if this is also the domain of base, naturally aspirated V-6s. That's why we found ourselves very impressed with the 2014 Ram 1500 EcoDiesel’s fuel economy after it had been subjected to the Motor Trend Real MPG test. With a Real MPG highway rating of up to 28 mpg highway, the 2014 Ram 1500 EcoDiesel is among the first vehicles to be mileage-tested using Motor Trend's new alternative source of standardized fuel economy numbers. Have no clue what Motor Trend’s Real MPG is? CLICK HERE to learn how we’ve established a real-world fuel economy evaluation protocol and plan to use it on as many vehicles as we can. 2014 Ram 1500 Limited Ecodiesel Front In support of our annual Truck of the Year program, we put our 2014 contestants through the Real MPG 88-mile drive cycle to determine how each would fare in the real world. Without official EPA numbers for the Ram 1500 EcoDiesel in hand, we weren’t entirely sure what to expect from the only diesel half-ton pickups sold in the U.S. The Real MPG result for the 2014 Ram 1500 EcoDiesel should stir even the most diehard Ford and Chevrolet fans. To start, the four-wheel-drive Ram 1500 EcoDiesel with a towing-preferred 3.92:1 axle ratio achieved 19/26/21 mpg city/highway/combined. According to EPA figures, the Ram 1500 4x4 with the Pentastar 3.6-liter V-6 hits 16/23/19 mpg, whereas equipping the 5.7-liter Hemi V-8 nets 13/19/15 mpg (six-speed automatic) or 15/21/17 mpg (eight-speed auto).
Read more: 2014 Ram 1500 EcoDiesel Gets 28 MPG Highway in Real MPG Testing - Motor Trend WOT
Then we put a rear-drive Ram 1500 EcoDiesel with the longer 3.55:1 ratio on the Real MPG loop. It finished the cycle at 18/28/22 mpg. Once again, according to the EPA, the rear-drive Ram 1500 with the Pentastar V-6 is rated 17/25/20 mpg. Having the burlier Hemi onboard drops fuel economy to 15/22/17 mpg with the eight-speed auto and to 14/20/16 mpg with the six-speed. The big attraction to having the VM Motori-sourced 240-hp/420-lb-ft 3.0-liter turbodiesel V-6 in the Ram 1500 is fuel efficiency, whether the truck is loaded with a trailer or unladen while commuting. The truck's hauling and towing performance is closer to a V-8’s capability, and that's appealing as well. Depending on the cab style, axle ratio, and drive layout, Ram claims a 1500 EcoDiesel will tow up to 9200 pounds, 1750 pounds more than the highest-rated Ram 1500 V-6. Of course, the imminent EPA numbers for the Ram 1500 EcoDiesel don’t have to mirror our findings (though that’d be great). But if they’re anywhere near 18-19/26-28/21-22 mpg, it should create an interesting forum for the discussion of diesel engines in future 1500-class pickup trucks. Get another perspective on the Real MPG fuel economy testing HERE, and revisit our Real MPG explanation article HERE.
Read more: 2014 Ram 1500 EcoDiesel Gets 28 MPG Highway in Real MPG Testing - Motor Trend WOT
